http://www.thecruckbarn.com en-gb thecruckbarn.com 2012-2-21T00:00:00Z thecruckbarn.com http://www.thecruckbarn.com/page3.htm#112979 Spring is in the air at last After a lovely Christmas and New Year with not too much snow but just enough to see Derbyshires breathtaking scenery dressed in white the snowdrops are all out the daffodils are peeping through the earth and the crocuses are providing lovely drifts of yellow and purple. The weather is cold but dry and ideal for walking or cycling and coming back to a cosy log fire evening of cake and hot chocolateyou have to walk or cycle first in order to earn that. The squirrels are starting to make forays out to recoup nuts buried last Autumn and the birds are starting to get territorial and investigate the bird boxes for this years des res. Whilst walking along one of our favourite river walks at Youlgreave we spent a full ten minutes leaning over an old bridge to watch a big water vole about his business with no concerns about being spied on at all. The river and canal and reservoir walks are particularly rewarding in the Spring and it is always worth carrying a... 2012-2-21 14:27:16 http://www.thecruckbarn.com/page3.htm#105854 Its been a lovely Autumn so farafter a rather disappointing Summer Once again we are awash with fruit The trees are covered in applesdamsonsplums and nuts weve made the redcurrant jelly and also had a go at sloe and apple jelly this year. It looks super and Im certainly looking forward to trying it with some pork or game. The big thing this Summer for us has been cycling. We have both got bikes now and weve been sampling the Derbyshire bike trails and we can certainly recommend them The scenery is breathtaking the track surfaces are safe and good to ride on and level enough not present a problem to the likes of older unfit lazy me You can ride for distances of up to 20 miles there are cafe pub and ice cream stops at the old station halts or you can pull off and visit pretty little villages and places like Tissington Hall with its lovely restaurant on the green. Several guests have brought their own bikes and stored them here or hired bikes from the bike hire places on the trail... 2011-11-1 09:11:11 http://www.thecruckbarn.com/page3.htm#91686 We have just had the most wonderful spell of very warm weather more befitting July than March and April It brought all the daffodils and forsythia out and now the blossom trees are on the point of bursting forth. It really is the most beautiful time of year at The Cruck Barn. It also brings our guests out too its nice to see them enjoying a glass of wine or even a cup of coffee on the balcony in the sunshine after being huddled inside around the log burner for so long Spring is also the time to take stock of the Winter damage At least two bay trees dead and two olive trees and several cordylines. We were obviously too ambitious with our planting and Mother Nature gave us a sharp reminder We seem to have had a very short snowdrop season this year because they were actually buried under the snow for so long I think the chickens may have suffered from the prolonged and intense cold and lost some condition as well because we are getting a run of soft shelled eggs. They are now on... 2011-4-14 08:47:23 http://www.thecruckbarn.com/page3.htm#76338 I cant believe its Autumn already We had a fair bit of sun throughout the Summer and all our guests enjoyed themselves getting out and about in The Peak District but it seems to have gone so fast We are already well into making plum jam and plum chutneyyes we had a lot of plums and lots of gooseberry chutney and red currant preserve as well. We have two new additions to the chicken ark so now we have three little red hens and a grey one who should keep us well supplied with eggs throughout the year and the sheep will be back in the field soon. I think the thing that stands out most about this Summer is the local agricultural shows. They really are good. Bakewell and Ashover are an excellent days entertainment for the whole family and Cromford steam rally gets bigger and better each year. It is a real trip back in time to watch the old tractors and threshing machines etc.that I used watch as a child and to stand close up to the huge steam engines and imagine them rumbling along t... 2010-9-25 15:31:17 http://www.thecruckbarn.com/page3.htm#65547 We have the ewes and lambs in the field now as usual but this year because some of the ewes are a different breed they have produced four lambs instead of the usual two and cant feed them all so a little assistance is needed and we have one to bottle feed At first it was four feeds a day with the last one late at night so she went to sleep with a warm tummy full in the still chilly nights. Now we are down to just one feed a day and boy hasnt she grown She started off a tiny poor little thing with knock knees but now shes as big and plump as the rest of them and racing around playing with them all and shouting loudly for her bottle when she sees us. Unfortunately one of the quads wasnt so lucky and died back at the farm. Despite being bottle fed it never thrived and obviously had something wrong from the start. The biggest shock though was when one of the big healthy lambs died for no apparent reason. She had a mouthful of bits of bark and stick and soil from the dry patch under... 2010-5-18 09:53:01 http://www.thecruckbarn.com/page3.htm#63319 Late this year but well and truly out now and looking very beautiful. I can see that all the trees we have planted will be well worth waiting for in future years. The blossom is the first touch of real colour since the harsh Winter and very welcome it is too The birds are all nesting in the usual places no sign of any squirrels yet perhaps they heard Ive got a gun and a lifelike squirrel target To put the icing on the cake we should have some new Spring lambs in the field this week as well. 2010-4-19 13:32:17 http://www.thecruckbarn.com/page3.htm#59294 Forget what I said in my last scribblings about Spring being on its way We have had snow and more snow since then and we were forgetting what green actually looked like The snowdrops are all out in force but they have been buried under a thick white blanket so are only just visible now the birds have had to have water containers filled regularly as well as seed feeders and Otto the labrador has to be literally tipped out of his bed to persuade him to go out at all when there is ice and snow on the ground We can at last though hear the sound of Woodpeckers hammering down in the valley and the Curlew have started to return to recce their old nesting sites so things must be looking up. I hope the reward for this long hard Winter is going to be a mild Spring when it comes so we can enjoy the blossom on the new trees and then a long hot Summer to sit in the shade with a book and a glass of something long and coolout on the balcony if you are staying at The Cruck Barn thats what drea... 2010-2-26 14:27:31 http://www.thecruckbarn.com/page3.htm#57519 The Snowdrops are already appearing in drifts around the old postbox and various places in the garden the Tawny Owls are very vocal in an evening and the usual assortment of garden birds are massing around the feeders the Blue Tits hanging upside down the Nuthatch pointing downwards and stabbing away with his great big dagger of a beak and the Robinsat least 6 of them trying to chase everyone else off ...... until the female Blackbird comes along that is Weve seen a water vole busily scurrying from hole to hole in the bank of the canal very rare in Britain now disappeared from 94 of their former range and the usual collection of ducks and moorhens etc. but cutest of all is the new little calf born to the Highland cows at the end of the lane. He looks so clean and soft and cuddly not like the enormous shaggy muddy longhorned beast of a mother and auntie in the field with him Im personally looking forward to seeing all the new trees weve planted in the last few years coming into lea... 2010-2-2 12:41:02 http://www.thecruckbarn.com/page3.htm#55766 I received a Christmas present that was so apt for me after all my complaints about the squirrels wreaking mayhem with the bird feeders all year and robbing me of every single walnut and cob nut at the end of Summer I was intrigued when I started to open what was obviously a two foot long metal object with a spike and amazed to see a black steel squirrel emerge complete with target hole in his head for air gun practice I shall have lots of fun with him and who knows if I get good at it look out furry little pests no matter how sweet and cute you look better pack you bags now 2010-1-9 09:49:53 http://www.thecruckbarn.com/page3.htm#55592 We are well and truly snowed in at the moment Luckily we had decided to keep the first two weeks of January clear so that we could decorate The Cruck Barn and set up the new music system etc. and that was definitely the right decision as we have been totally cut off now for a few days only the most intrepid adventurer in a trusty four wheel drive can get through and we havent seen many of them It seems very strange to have had no post for a week and we are very lucky to have a milkman who continues to battle through although weve seen him struggle up the hill with one foot out of the door pushing like mad Our poor New Years guests slid down the hill as they left and crashed into a grit bin of all things at the same time as our neighbour hurtled down the other hill narrowly missed ending up in our moat and then crashed into his garden. The noise of pots and garden furniture smashing had us all running but luckily noone was hurt in either case. The dogs are enjoying the snow we h... 2010-1-6 13:01:30 http://www.thecruckbarn.com/page3.htm#55196 Iwould like to take this opportunity to wish all friends of The Cruck Barn and all you avid readers of my blog page well there might just be one or two of you out there a very happy and healthy and successful New Year and we look forward to seeing many of you again in 2010. We always enjoy chatting to our guests and finding out about about their lives and their interests and we were thrilled to receive a very special minted silver sixpence this week from an Associate Owner of a beautiful and unspoilt Hebridean island called Sgarabhaigh who stayed with us during the Christmas break. This beautiful tranquil paradise is owned and conserved by the Friends of Sgarabhaigh and you can become one of the family with all the rights this bestows by buying a very affordable share in the island which can then be passed on as a family heirloom. This would make a very special present for that person who has everything Look up the website www.scaravay.com for all the detail... 2009-12-30 14:41:51 http://www.thecruckbarn.com/page3.htm#54973 Christmas Eve here at last Everything is ready the tree is decorated the Holly and Ivy gathered and decorations made just in the nick of time before the Blackbirds and Thrushes ate all the berries Theres no wonder theyre so fat there were millions of berries this year The recent snow has turned the hamlet into a silent wonderland and I can see the sneaky foxy footprints all round the field calling in at the chicken ark to see if there is any chance of supper Not likely All is safely gathered in now Christmas cakes and dozens of mince pies have been made the mulled wine is ready and the presents wrapped. All thats left to do is put some carols on or Bing Crosby if you prefer and cosy up in front of the log burner. Theres nothing more traditional than Christmas at The Cruck Barn and we wish all our guests past and present a very Happy Christmas and all the best in health and happiness for the new year. 2009-12-24 12:20:35 http://www.thecruckbarn.com/page3.htm#52604 We always have a bonfire and pea and pie supper at The cruck Barn for family friends neighbours and guests as many of you will know but not this year The bonfire was coming along nicely growing tall and taking shape and the husband was quite proud of its height and solid structure as he added to it and tweaked it regularly. A few weeks before The Night he trimmed all the Ivy around the garden and heaped huge mounds of it onto the top of the bonfire and declared it ready to go. The very next day the sheep came back into the field five big sturdy boys so fit and ready for their working season that they couldnt make up their minds whether to crash heads together or try to mount each other but when they saw all the Ivy their bellies took over and they dived in to eat it. Although it isnt poisonous they ate so much of it that it made them ill and one was found lying on his back with belly ache in a pool of liquid manure and had to be removed back to the farm to be treated. The ... 2009-11-15 12:42:40 http://www.thecruckbarn.com/page3.htm#49585 We have had a lovely start to Autumn here in the Peak District with beautiful sunny days all the more precious because you know they will not be here for much longer The lovely weather got the husband the dog and I out foraging for the wild hedgerow fruits on several walks and we now have shelves full of beautiful jewel like jams and jellies Rowan and Apple jelly Haw and Crab apple jelly and Redcurrant sauce and Beetroot chutney from the garden so far and as the husband had some Sloes left over from his Sloe gin I shall put them into some Sloe and Apple jelly. The Crabapples are a work of art in themselves ranging from big mellow yellow ones through red streaked and speckled ones to tiny little pickled onion sized green ones that hang like bunches of grapes on the tree An old Farmers Weekly recipe book comes in very handy The jellies made from wild fruits are a delicious piquant addition to pork poultry and game dishes and will make very popular little gifts at Christmas for fri... 2009-9-28 15:54:37 http://www.thecruckbarn.com/page3.htm#47365 I am beginning to wonder if just maybe I owe the fox population an apologygrudging I was busy in the garden yesterdaylovely hot sunny day when I heard a commotion in the paddock where the chickens are although they were still safely in their ark. I could hear the loud mewling call of a raptor at very close quarters and wondered if a sparrow hawk had its eye on the swallows so I quietly moved closer to have a look and to my amazement saw that a buzzard had dropped out of the sky down onto a big fat wood pigeon now in his talons and was loudly calling presumably to his mate Im coming now dear Im bringing lunch with me He took off when he saw me taking his prize with him and I just wondered if that was the way some of my chickens went. Looking out of the window whilst eating my toast and tea this morning I can see the buzzard circling around the neighbouring fields where the corn has now been cut looking for his next prey Talking about foxes I heard a very unsettling fact recentl... 2009-8-23 09:17:37 http://www.thecruckbarn.com/page3.htm#46015 I cant believe it was April when I last updated our blog and now it is Summer is that what you call it. Anyway we have had some lovely warm deckchair days and apparently it has been wetter down South and in the Lake District and Wales so we should not complain It has been ideal for all the new trees we have planted in the newly fenced off paddock and we should be able to look forward to a froth of blossom next Spring and lots of fruits and berries for us and the birds. We have had lots of birds nesting as usual and there are now fledgling Robins Tits Chaffinch and Greenfinch Blackbirds Thrushes Wrens and Nuthatches around the garden and woodpeckers as well luckily for them all we dont have a cat any more The Cruck Barn guests say how much they enjoy watching them all on the balcony birdfeeder. The sad thing amongst all this new life... 2009-8-1 13:15:41 http://www.thecruckbarn.com/page3.htm#27673 I couldnt believe how fast my Calor Gas had gone down. We only run a little gas cooker off it in the Summer when the Rayburn is switched off. I said to the delivery man. Ill tell you the answer to that he said Squirrels Look theyve eaten through the rubber hose on your tank and now all the gas has leaked out This is how they pay me back after I have turned a blind eye to them raiding the bird table well sometimes protected their nest in the Ivy banksO.K.I didnt know it was there and fondly watched as the youngsters emerged carried by their mother they now eat my rubber hoses and get high on my gas A while ago some guests at The Cruck Barn told me they had been to Bakewell Farmers Market and seen squirrel burgers on a stall. I laughed at the time but it doesnt seem such a bad idea now I wonder where I can get the recipe from. Its war make no mistake about it 2008-7-30 16:33:35 http://www.thecruckbarn.com/page3.htm#27507 Another loss last Thursday This time it was Maud the biggest hen and one of the best layers. Im afraid we can no longer claim Free range eggs they will now have to be Fresh severely restricted range eggs The fox population is proliferating individuals are getting short of territory and therefore having to take the risk of hunting by day and coming close to human habitation to steal poultry and anything else they can get. This is bad news for the fox in the long term but devastating for my chickens in the short term 2008-7-27 09:38:32 http://www.thecruckbarn.com/page3.htm#26203 As those of you who have stayed at The Cruck Barn will know we have four chickens who provide us with ample eggs for our own family use and for guests at the barn. No longer........ We now only have three. Matilda disappeared on Wednesday whilst they were free ranging in the field. She always was one to wander away from the rest and now she has paid the ultimate price she has become dinner for some young fox hunting the fields during the day. No one heard or saw anything and there was no trace of her going save for one solitary black feather blowing in the breeze at the top of the field. Poor Matilda 2008-6-28 17:13:12 http://www.thecruckbarn.com/page3.htm#20246 We could never work out why a fluffy white coating persistently appeared on the wall low down at the bottom of the stairs. It wasnt damp it wasnt an outside wall and the wall had been recently skimmed with plaster. No matter how often we brush it off it soon reappears Now I think I may have found the answer. This is an excerpt from a book about old farming memories in the area........... ........... but Ive still got the legacy of salting pigs in my farmhouse. The salt stays in the walls permanently its there as a fluffy white coating. Youll never get it out. Even in the room on the other side of the pantry the wall paper would not stay on without a false front of timber and plaster boards being fitted. an old farmer now in his 80s. So it seems quite likely that that corner of The Cruck Barn could have been the place where the cottage pig was scalded to remove the hair after it was killed and the hams rubbed with salt and hung to pres... 2008-2-21 11:15:57 http://www.thecruckbarn.com/page3.htm#16873 We love to have dogs staying at The Cruck Barn we are very doggy people but we do have two simple rules and Id like to take the opportunity to explain why. First of all we ask that dogs stay in the big downstairs room and do not go upstairs. The reason for this being the upstairs is a sleeping area with fitted carpet and various rugs and sheepskins. The microscopic particles left behind from a dogs coat could become an irritant to anyone suffering an allergy no matter how well the room was cleaned. So out of respect for everyone we welcome dogs but downstairs only. Secondly we ask that dogs are walked off site on a lead to wee and all the rest. The lane outside the gates is very quiet and there are footpaths next to the garden. If your dog is simply allowed to wander on his or her own outside then the first instinct is to start scentmarking his perceived new territory. The next dog to come and stay then has the urge to scentmark over the top of this and I am sure you can imagi... 2007-11-25 09:30:07 http://www.thecruckbarn.com/page3.htm#16521 If you are staying at The Cruck Barn for a Winter break on a frosty morning dont miss the view from the balcony. We have a high vantage point facing South and East with panoramic views not to be missed at this time of year. Go out there between 7 and 8a.m. and watch the sun rise over the mist hanging in the Amber Valley. Look out for the gothic ruins of South Wingfield Manor rising from the mist. It really is a magical scene on a crisp Winter morning and well worth dragging yourself the few yards from your bed to the balcony doors you can always just put a jumper over your jamas and then go back and snuggle down for another hour or so but dont forget there are some excellent Winter scenery walks to be done November 18th. first snow of the year By evening there must have been several inches of crisp white snow and the guests at The Cruck Barn awoke to a Winter Wonderland scene from the balconyit really made someones birthday apparently but it didnt last. By midmorning it had al... 2007-11-15 08:39:48